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Today, Mytour will guide you on how to convert a folder on your computer into a shared network drive. To proceed, ensure your computer is on the same network as the device hosting the shared folder. You can map a network drive on both Windows and Mac systems.
Steps
On Windows
Click on This PC. This folder is located in the left-hand options column of the File Explorer window.
Click on the Computer tab located at the top-left corner of the This PC window. A toolbar will appear below the Computer tab.
Click on the Map network drive icon. This option features a gray drive with a green bar below it and is located in the "Network" section. A new window will pop up when clicked.
Select a drive letter. Click the dropdown menu labeled "Drive" and choose the letter you want to assign to the folder.
- Hard drives are typically labeled with letters (e.g., the main drive on a computer is usually labeled "C").
- Consider selecting X or Z to avoid conflicts with letters A through F, which are often used for other drives.
Click on Browse…. This option is located in the middle-right section of the window. Another window will open.
Choose the folder you want to use as the drive. Click on the name of the computer you wish to use, then navigate and select the folder to be mapped as the drive.
- If you are not connected to at least one other computer on the same network, you won’t be able to select a folder.
Click on OK at the bottom of the window. The folder you selected will be saved as the target for the drive.
- Ensure that the owner of the computer you selected does not move the folder after this point.
Verify that the "Reconnect at sign-up" box is checked. Click the box to the left of this option if it is not already marked. This ensures you always have access to the folder.
- If the computer is connecting to a shared folder on the network, you may need to provide login credentials. In this case, check the "Connect using different credentials" box and enter your login details.
Click the Finish button at the bottom of the window. The setup process will complete, linking the current computer to the selected folder. You can now use the folder as a drive.
- The designated folder will appear under the "Devices and drives" section in the This PC window, labeled with the letter you chose.
On Mac
Open Finder. Click the blue face icon in the Mac's Dock.
Click on Go. This tab is located in the menu bar at the top of the screen. A dropdown menu will appear.
Click on Connect to Server. This option is near the bottom of the dropdown menu. A new window will open.
Enter the address of the folder you want to use. For example, if the folder is named Movies and located in the Documents folder on a computer named Thao, type Thao/Documents/Movies/ to the right of the smb:// tag.
- Depending on the network type, you might see ftp:// or a similar tag instead of smb://.
Click the + sign to the right of the address bar. The folder address will be added to your Mac.
Click on Connect. This blue button is located at the bottom of the window.
Enter your login credentials when prompted. The username and password required will depend on the current network, so consult the system administrator if you're unsure how to log in.
- Once logged in, you'll see the folder's drive icon appear on your desktop.
Tips
- You must be logged in as an administrator to map a network drive.
Warnings
- You must have the exact address of the folder.
